On Tap: Bellwether brings together beer, fellowship
For brewer Thomas Croskrey, it’s about bringing back Old World beer styles from Celtic and Nordic origins, such as braggot (a honeyed beer-mead hybrid) and gruit (brewed with herbs instead of hops).
“It’s exciting for me,” said the history buff. “I hope it’s exciting for anyone else who walks through the doors and wants to try something different.”
For business partner Dave Musser, a community activist and pastor, it’s another step forward for the surrounding Emerson-Garfield neighborhood.
“I love this neighborhood and I want to see it revitalized,” Musser said. “We’re trying to create a community gathering place.”
The two grew up together in East Valley and kept in touch over the years. Croskrey talked of opening a tavern even before he began homebrewing about three years ago; Musser, who helped found Emerson-Garfield’s farmers market and community garden after moving there in 2005, was considering a restaurant.
They shared their ideas at a New Year’s Eve party. “We kind of put our dreams together,” Croskrey said.
The result is Bellwether, in a former mechanic shop that sat empty for 10 years. The clean, inviting space was designed by Musser’s wife, Brianna, and brought to life by her father, a contractor.
A polished concrete floor and walls in light and dark gray are accented by the black walnut used for the bar and table tops, tap handles and taster trays. Globe light bulbs hang from long cords over the bar.
Along with padded, high-backed barstools and standard tables in the middle of the room, there’s distinctive seating along opposite side walls: two tables with stools bolted to one wall, and a cozy nook along the other (painted blue) with couches around an old dresser.
A window opposite the bathrooms looks into the 1.5-barrel brewery operation, where Croskrey has been busy churning out both historic and more modern styles.
The lineup includes Sea Wolf (7.9 percent alcohol by volume, 51 International Bitterness Units), a brown braggot named after the seafaring Vikings who invaded Ireland, with an intense richness from flavorful buckwheat honey; Albion (8.4, 0), the original name for the island of Great Britain, a malty, hopless heather ale with an herbal, floral character; and a rotating series of small-batch gruits (released Tuesdays) using the likes of lemon verbena, mugwort, grains of paradise, coriander, rosehips, rosemary and yarrow.
Second Breakfast hefeweizen (5.8, 19) gets a spicy twist from lemongrass, lemon balm and ginger. The red Stargazer’s Rye (5.7, 54) has fruity notes from Galaxy and Comet hops balanced by the peppery rye.
Among more familiar offerings, both the Brother by Choice stout and a session version are on tap, with a Whiter Shade of Pale Ale and an IPA on the way next week. A small-batch brewer’s choice is tapped each Thursday.
Guest taps include One Tree hard cider and Hopped Up root beer, alongside the house-brewed Tenderfoot ginger ale and Tenderfoot XP, with key lime and jalapeno.
For food, there’s pistachios, a cheese platter, Alpine Bakery bread using the brewery’s spent grains and vanilla ice cream for floats. Food trucks are planned for weekends and special events (outside food is allowed as well).
Musser plans to have his neighborhood-based Altar church group eventually begin meeting at the brewery.
“I never wanted a church building that would sit empty all week long,” he said. And anyway, he added, “A church isn’t a building; it’s the people. When I have a pint with a couple of friends, you can call that church.
“Our other connection with the church is that Jesus made really, really good wine, and Thomas makes really, really good beer.”
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Send beer news, comments and questions to senior correspondent Rick Bonino at boninobeer@comcast.net.